4 Reasons to Book Professional Oil Changes Instead of Going DIY

You should already know that regular oil changes are incredibly important for your vehicle. When you keep driving with old oil or without enough oil, everything from performance to fuel efficiency will start to suffer. Even worse, you'll risk doing serious damage to expensive internal parts.

While an oil change is something many people choose to take care of themselves, it's also a task that can be performed at your local service centre. In fact, most drivers will find that it makes more sense to trust professionals for an oil change rather than going DIY.

Here are just four reasons why.

1. Time and Tools

If you've already performed plenty of oil changes, you should have all the know-how and equipment to do the job quickly and easily. However, it can still take longer than it would for a professional. If you don't have much in the way of automotive knowledge or experience, it might take a lot longer and involve a lot more effort than you expected. Additionally, you'll need tools like ratchets, drain pans, and wrenches. If you don't, you'll drastically increase the cost of your oil change by having to buy them.

2. Risk of Mistakes

Most oil changes go smoothly enough, but any mistakes can have serious consequences. If you use the wrong oil, you can end up damaging your engine and other key internal parts. Any spills can be dangerous since spilt oil may ignite when the engine gets hot. Additionally, you may make a mistake and hurt yourself – for example, you could try changing the oil while the engine is still hotter than you expected. By arranging a professional oil change, you can avoid making such mistakes.

3. Disposal Issues

Changing oil is one thing, but you also need to know how to properly dispose of the used oil. That means taking the precautions necessary to ensure local disposal regulations are followed, and this can be something of a hassle. To ensure environmental responsibility and make things easier for yourself, it's best to leave the job to a professional mechanic.

4. Service Plan

Finally, it's worth remembering that vehicles come with structured service plans that prompt you to bring your vehicle in for servicing at set intervals. Oil changes will be carried out as required as part of these plans, as will other key maintenance work. As such, performing DIY oil changes at home can mean missing out on those other services. It simply makes more sense to follow your service plan.

Reach out to a car service shop to learn more.